Hey everyone. I started school about a month ago at a university. I live on campus. I haven't been exactly eating right and I have done zero exercise so far. I am not overweight, I'm skinny actually with a tiny little gut. For the past week I have been run down and tired. I haven't had a totally solid BM for a while, it is usually mush, I think its the food in the dining hall. My head kinda feels like it is pressured and my eyes hurt and I just don't feel right, yet I'm not overly sick. I have not been getting a whole lot of sleep, my average bed time is from 2- 3 AM.

The other day my chest started hurting on the opposite side of my heart, but not a constant pain, kind of like I pulled something but not sore to the touch. Now today I took a nap for about an hour and a half. Pretty much all day I have felt kind of weak and lazy. On and off I have loss of apettite but like I said in between meals I don't eat right. This seemingly is just me being run down and needing to exercise, eat better and sleep more.

I read this article about a kid from my graduating class (I'm 20) that developed the Eppstein barr virus, it seemed to go away, developed into mono, his spleen ruptured within a week. The day after the spleen rupture he died. He had a rash on his arms and had a fever a few days earlier.

I didn't feel well the other day and felt like I had a slight fever. Now I know mono is almost never fatal and it was for him. I am just scared with being tired and having that slight feverish feeling and the chest pain that I may have it but it seems like my mind is just fooling me and I probably am just run down and pulled a muscle stretching or something. I know this post is long and paranoid but someone give advice please.

Yep absolutely. You really do need to see a doctor. They'll be able to check you over and possibly send you for any tests they think is necessary. If you're as worried as your post sounds, you should definitely see a doctor.

First and foremost - see the student health center and ask for a mono spot test. Mono is caused by the Epstein Barr Virus, and by adulthood most all of us have had it or been exposed to it. The kid you read about was a rare case; although, if you have mono there are a few things you absolutely should not do. One of them is drink alcohol. The other is to play contact sports. The reason behind this is because of possible damage to the spleen (as this former student suffered). If you have mono, or any other passing infection, you need to rest and regain your health.

BUT, it sounds like you already know that you have a lot to work on which could help your health - even if you don't have an infection. There are TONS of things which can cause fatigue in a chronic sense and still not be chronic fatigue syndrome. And, as you already have commented, your diet, sleep patterns, and lack of exercise can all contribute that that. Also, those poor habits just set you up for disease and illness. You certainly can't change all of these things at once, but opt to change a few and set yourself some goals. Alternately, take advantage of those student fees and schedule a visit to your nutrition counselor. (You don't have to be overweight to be able to use the services of the nutritionist). I think this would be of great advantage to you.

Hope you get better soon, and hope you start working on that healthier lifestyle. Your future family and/or friends will be thankful (as will YOU).

Kali

BTW - folks with chronic fatigue suffer overwhelming fatigue and a HUGE assortment of problems with endocrine system, cardiovascular systems, skin, etc. This is one board where our symptoms absolutely rule whether we sign on or not. You will find periods where folks almost never seem to log on and answer. Don't get discouraged. We'll answer in due time, but it may not be until a week where we're feeling better.